Korra: The Legend Continues
by LoverofLove
Summary: Set after the canon ending of the series. New story and plot involving disappearances and a new threat. And of course, Korrasami.
1. No Going Back

A/N: Hey, everyone! First LOK story I'm attempting. Haven't written on here in awhile, but I'm back for some more! This is based on the canon ending and continuing from there. Read and enjoy!

(Rated M because I haven't decided where to completely go with this. So just doing it in case.)

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><p><span><strong>Korra: The Legend Continues<strong>

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><p><em>Chapter 1: No Going Back<em>

She sat on a bench in Republic City's police station tapping her foot and resting her chin on a propped up fist. They had only returned from vacation in the Spirit World hours ago. After a welcoming greeting from Tenzin and the family, she was informed of an ongoing investigation within Republic City. Disappearances had been occurring every forty-eight hours for the past three weeks. There seems to be no sign of the abductor and no apparent pattern between each abductee.

"Lin has been tearing her hair out. Mako said she's been more of a nightmare to be around than usual, but for good reason," Korra recalled Tenzin's last remark on the subject as she anxiously waited for the Chief of Police to summon her.

"Korra!" she heard which brought her attention back to the present. Looking up, she smiled at Mako approaching eagerly. They hugged as continued greeting her. "It's so good to see you! How was the Spirit World?" he asked pulling away from her.

"Relaxing. But apparently we may have been gone for too long. Tenzin said Republic City hasn't been doing too well the past few weeks," she said getting straight to business.

"Three months is nothing compared to your three year vacation. You deserved a break. But now that you're back, can't say I'm not a bit relieved. Where's Asami?"

"Oh, she went to check on the company. She was kind of terrified what Varrick might have done with it while we were gone," Korra let out a chuckle.

Mako rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably, "Yeah, there have been a few unexpected explosions over there. Nothing too messy."

"Well that's going to put her in a great mood…"

"Korra!" Lin made her way to them with the exact irritation Korra expected to see displayed on her face. "Welcome back. Now I assume you vaguely know why I asked you here?"

"Disappearances are happening and you have no idea why."

"It doesn't make any sense! It all seems like it's at random, but it all seems to happen within the same time of day every two days. There's some sort of planning going on for the time to be so in synch," Lin explained in frustration.

"There have been eleven missing so far. Three children and eight adults. Four males and seven females. The parents of the kids come in practically every day hoping we've got something to go on. Husbands and girlfriends have been in too," Mako added with sympathy.

"When is the next abduction expected?" Korra questioned.

Looking down at his watch, Mako answered. "About... seven hours from now."

"We've got patrols all over the city. If we hear word of anything off, we'll be on top of it. This sicko can't get away with it this time. It ends tonight," Lin finished determined.

"So what can I do to help?" Korra soldiered up.

"I want you on the streets patrolling via vehicle. I want you already on the move if something is called in. The avatar is our secret weapon. Not many no you've returned."

"I can tap into the spirit vines if we get word of anything."

"Excellent. Meet back here at around seven. I'll set you up with a patrol car."

Lin marched away without another word. Mako sighed heavily. "Back to the grind for me too, I guess."

"I'll be back in a few hours," Korra waved as she retreated from the station. She returned to Tenzin to update him on the situation. Sitting down having tea with him felt too surreal.

"Well we have some time before you need to run off and be a hero. Tell me about your vacation," he asked with a kind smile.

Korra smirked. "It was great. At first it was hilarious because Asami was completely out of her element. Putting a city girl right in the middle of the spirit wilds is actually something everyone should see once in their life."

"Ah, fish out of water, huh?"

"You could say that again. But she was so curious about it all. She bonded with so many spirits. And she loved having tea with Iroh and listening to all his…_sometimes_ sage advice," Korra couldn't help but smile to herself as she got lost in thought.

"Ah, the smile on your face…Young love is a powerful thing," he stated nonchalantly.

That brought her back to reality. She stumbled for words wide-eyed. "Wha-? What do you- What do you mean?" She felt her face heating up.

"Asami has been there for you countless of times, Korra. I suspected something was there a while ago. Maybe you didn't, but I've seen love before. And I'm very happy for you."

Korra felt a small smile grace her lips as she stared down at her fingers fiddling with each other in her lap. "…Thank you, Tenzin."

"She also called earlier and said to let you know she was going to be at the office for a while. Apparently, Varrick got a little too adventurous in her absence. Something about blowing up a floor where all the blueprints for a bridge were located."

"That sounds about right," Korra answered in no surprise. "Well, I'm going to go play fetch with Naga for a bit before I have to get back to business."

"Please do. She's been begging me every day to play with her."

After some play time with her furry female friend, she made her way back to the station. Lin was making her way toward the exit when she arrived. "Alright. I'm heading out to the southern part of the city. Your driver should be up front any minute. You'll head north and start circling the city clockwise. We're getting this criminal tonight!" she exclaimed as she flung herself into the air and used her cables to metal bend off the buildings.

Then, a car sped up and came to a swift halt in front of Korra. "Heard you needed a driver."

A shiver ran up her spine as she locked on to those piercing green eyes. "How'd you get roped into this?" Korra grinned as she hopped into the passenger seat.

Asami sighed. "Needed to let off some steam after dealing with Varrick today. Plus, it's a great excuse to get you all to myself for a little bit," she finished with a quick kiss on Korra's cheek. She smirked as the Avatar's cheeks began turning red. Then, she started the car and began the patrol.

"So you need an excuse to be alone with me?" Korra replied after gaining some composure. She turned to see the wind trailing Asami's hair behind her.

Asami laughed. "Korra, you're the Avatar. People are practically around you twenty-four/seven. I have to take what I can get."

"So three months wasn't enough?" Korra questioned with an eyebrow raised.

Asami turned to her in an instant. "Not nearly enough," she smirked before looking back at the road.

Korra felt herself crumbling in her seat. She was so entranced that she couldn't remember why they were in the car in the first place. "I-uh…where are we going?" she tried to recover smoothly.

"We're patrolling for a kidnapper, remember?" Asami reminded with a playful smile. "Stay focused, Avatar Korra. I can't be held responsible for your lack of attention."

"As a matter of fact, I think you're the _only_ one that can be held responsible!" Korra argued which caused Asami to laugh.

"Korra, come in!" the radio went off. She picked it up and transmitted back. "I'm here, Chief."

"We're lacking patrol down by the bridge construction to the east. Get a good position and stay put. Standby until further instructions."

"Got it." Korra turned to Asami. "You heard the woman." They then made their way to the location.

"Geez, I just managed to get away from this place too," Asami grumbled as she parked in an alleyway overlooking the construction site.

"This is the bridge Varrick messed up?"

"Yep. And it's not looking like an easy fix. Could take another month and a half."

"Yikes. Sorry."

"It's not _your_ fault,"Asami chuckled.

"Yeah, but I'm the one that asked you to go on vacation with me."

"And if you hadn't I would be equally if not more frustrated than I am now."

"Why?"

Asami turned in her seat to completely face Korra. "Because I have been in love with you for almost four years now. And if you never asked me to go with you, I'm afraid you never would have asked me to do anything."

"Asami…" Korra frowned before reaching out and placing a hand on top of the woman next to hers.

"Korra! Head south to the park! I'm chasing someone on foot!" Mako came through over the radio.

"Be right there!" Korra replied back as Asami turned on the engine and maneuvered out of the alley. They were only a block away.

Korra sighed. "What great timing…"

"Don't worry. You can make it up to me later," Asami replied before swerving the car to a stop.

Korra jumped out of the car and smiled back at her driver. "You got it. Go back to the station and wait for Lin. I'll be back with Mako as soon as I can." Then, she ran off in the direction where someone was fire bending in the distance.

"Be safe," Asami whispered as she watched the Avatar getting further and further from her.

By the time Korra found Mako, he was slumped over against a tree holding his stomach. She ran and knelt down in front of him. "Mako! What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he hissed as he tried to shift his weight. When he looked up at her, he cocked an eyebrow. "I hope my near death experience wasn't an interruption or anything…"

"Huh?"

"You've got some lipstick on your cheek, Avatar."

Korra's eyes widened before she quickly began rubbing her face fervently. "No, I swear-"

"I'm kidding... I couldn't make out whether it was a man or woman, but they sure as hell can run." Korra reached down and helped Mako to his feet; wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"How'd you find them?"

"I was lurking around one of the previous victims homes just to cover all the bases, and while the kid sister of the missing boy was outside playing, this person came creeping down from the roof and down into the alley. I swear they were seconds away from kidnapping that girl. I made a run for it, yelling to the girl to get inside. Then, I started chasing them."

We continued to hobble toward the park entrance. "Were they a bender?"

"Yeah, blood bender. I got a few hits in, but there's only so much I can do against that."

"Great. Who knows what they're doing to all these missing people…"

"I don't know. But no one has turned up dead. That has to be a good sign."

"Maybe. Let's just get you back to the station. You need rest," Korra suggested as they approached the streets.

"Someone looking for a savior?" a voice came from a nearby car. Bolin stood leaning against a car with a suave look across his face. Korra smiled in response. Mako scoffed, "Is that what you're calling yourself these days?"

"Hey, Nuktuk is the Hero of the South! I'm in character every day lately! This sequel is taking my life and soul!" he groaned as he ran over to open the passenger door for his brother.

"I feel your pain, little brother," he hissed as he entered the vehicle. "Literally."

"Let's just get back to the station," Korra added getting in as well.

"Yes, ma'am! And by the way," Bolin turned back from the driver seat to look at his old friend. "Welcome home, Korra," he said smiling sweetly.

"Thanks, Bolin," Korra returned the smile.

When they got to that station, Lin was waiting eagerly for them. She ran over and helped Mako settle into a chair when she saw them enter her office. "What happened?"

"Well, apparently we're dealing with a blood bender. And they were targeting one of the previously kidnapped victim's sister," Korra informed.

"That's the best information we've gotten so far. But still not enough," Lin commented.

"At least we know to stay even closer to the victims' families," Mako added.

"But there have been plenty of victims so far and this is the first time we see some sort of connection," the Chief stated in annoyance. "Did you get a good look at them?" she asked looking at Korra.

"I wasn't there in time. I found Mako hurt when I showed up," Korra explained.

Mako took over. "I couldn't make out the gender. The fighting was too quick for me to really see. They were wearing a black mask. I could only vaguely see their eyes."

"So we're looking at a ninja thief who likes dabbling in the dark arts," Bolin stated intensely. "I smell a mover plot!"

"Save the stardom for after this creep is thrown in jail," Lin interjected.

"So what now?" Korra brought the subject back on track.

"Well they didn't succeed with their patterned kidnapping. We don't know whether they will try again soon or wait it out. I don't know. We might need a city curfew," Lin suggested in exhaustion.

"Really? We're going to get that extreme with this?" Bolin asked in alarm.

"I think we have to," Mako replied in defeat. "It's too risky now. We know this person is dangerous."

"Then I'll contact the President and let him know," Lin finally decided. "The rest of you are dismissed until I contact you. Mako, that includes you too."

"I'm going to stay here, ma'am. I want to look over some of the profiles of the disappearances," the detective fought.

"Fine, but don't push yourself."

"Chief, where's Asami?" Korra questioned immediately concerned seeing she wasn't where she told her to be.

"I sent her home. Or to Tenzin's. I wanted her to update him on the situation."

"Oh okay. Let me know if you guys figure anything out," Korra said as she made an exit with Bolin.

"Mind if I tag along? Opal's there too. She's been training with Tenzin and Jinora a lot lately."

"Not at all. How've you been, Bolin?" Korra answered cheerfully.

"Great! Busy, but great! Varrick has been running Future Industries and directing the latest Nuktuk film at the same time. I found out after the fact that one of the scenes in the mover where we escape an exploding bridge wasn't exactly a prop."

"That was for the mover?" Korra exclaimed.

"Yeah," Bolin answered sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Zhu Li wasn't thrilled when she found out. She took over Future Industries' affairs after that."

"I'm surprised Varrick hasn't been added to the disappearance list after Asami found out," Korra joked.

"Yeah, about that… How was vacation?" Bolin grinned.

Korra felt her face turn red from his expression. "It- It was good. It was nice. It was... good-nice."

"_Good/nice_?" he replied with laughter.

"What?"

"I'm glad you had a good/nice time with Asami, Korra."

"We…we did," she ended smiling softly to herself.

"I'm just happy you guys are together."

Korra looked up at her friend in surprise. Nothing has ever been mentioned to her friends. Even Mako seeing her lipstick stained cheek earlier threw her off guard. Did they really already know? She didn't think it was that obvious. "What do you mean?"

Bolin laughed. "Asami has been talking to me about you for years. It's a shame it took this long for you to realize it."

Korra's mouth fell agape. "Really?" she asked hesitantly.

"You seemed clueless. I think you subconsciously knew something was there. It just seemed so obvious when seeing you guys interact. But that's in the past. You woke up and smelt the coffee!"

Her heart swelled thinking of how long their feelings must have existed. It was odd thinking back. It seemed so innocent back then. Everything now was clear and devouring. Everything pointed to Asami.

When they got to the temple, they said their good nights and went to find their significant others. Korra opened the bedroom door to find Asami sitting up on top of the bed asleep; a cup of tea loosely in her hands. An open magazine rested beside her and it was obvious she had been trying to stay awake for when Korra returned.

The Avatar stared at her for a moment with soft eyes and a gentle smile. Then, she reached down and tried to slip the cup out of her hands without being noticed. Sadly, Asami stirred and found the Avatar placing the cup on the table beside them.

"You're back," the green eyed woman said groggily.

"I am," Korra answered simply, sitting in front of the sleepy beauty. "Go back to sleep. It's been a long day," she suggested sweetly.

"Are you trying to get rid of me already?" Asami joked as she stretched.

Korra chuckled. "You bet. Three months straight really opened my eyes. Yikes." Asami grabbed her pillow and hit a grinning Korra before it was grabbed away from her. "By the way, thanks for the lipstick stain on my cheek earlier. Mako found it charming," Korra said with a raised eyebrow.

Asami smirked. "What? You didn't like it?" Korra glared with a small smile. "Because I don't have to kiss you anymore. It's fine, really. We can just go back-"

Korra grabbed Asami's wrist and pulled her closer. Her other hand cupped the side of her face as crystal blue eyes met emerald green. "No," Korra said firmly. "We're not going back." And then, their lips met.


	2. The Things You Learn

_Chapter 2: The Things You Learn_

She was walking down the middle of the road in the dead of night. There was no sign of anyone around. There were no sounds from cars in the distance; no doors slamming or voices carried through the air. Everything was as still as a snapshot while Korra was the only moving portion.

She stopped and turned to stare in every direction. Something was off. It was eerie. Then, in an instant, a gust of wind knocked her to the ground. Her short hair blowing in the wind, she squinted through the burst of air in search of the source. Then, the wind stopped and revealed a figure slowly approaching her.

"How… how is this possible?" Korra breathed out with wide eyes. She felt her jaw begin to tremble.

Amon stood before her, and she began to feel her body tightening. With clenched teeth, she began to resist. "No!" she shouted as she finally broke through his control and threw an air punch at him.

Watching him begin to push himself up from the ground, she again felt her body losing control. But he wasn't doing it. She turned behind her and found Tarrlok glaring. Trying to break free seemed more difficult suddenly. The bloodbending was stronger. That was when she noticed Amon had recovered and was attacking her as well.

Her feet began to leave the street as she levitated into the air. Pain coursed through her veins and screams failed to leave her throat. Amon approached reaching out toward her. She knew what that meant. She'd been here before. How could she stop it this time? Her eyes began to glow. She had to go into the Avatar state. That was her only option.

But it wasn't working. Panic ran through her. What was happening? What was she going to do? And as his hand was inches from her, she woke up.

A strangled yell left her lips as she sat up in bed. Her breathing was heavy and her forehead was matted with sweat. Her tank top clung to her skin slightly.

"Are you okay?" a concerned voice came from beside her as she felt a gentle touch on her forearm.

A weight slowly left her chest. Asami stared caringly back at her. "I had a dream about Amon. And Tarrlok was there too."

"What happened?"

"They double teamed me with bloodbending. I couldn't resist them both. I couldn't even go into the Avatar state."

"You're fine now. It was just a dream," Asami reassured.

Korra buried her face in her hands before rubbing her head with her fingertips. "It felt so real though."

"The disappearances brought this on. You found out he was a bloodbender. It's bringing up stuff from the past."

"Yeah, well I wish it wouldn't."

"We'll catch whoever this is and you aren't helpless. You're the Avatar. That dream was a poor representation of yourself. You're stronger than you think you are apparently. And you aren't easily controlled. Trust me."

Korra turned to her with a hint of a smile across her lips. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're stubborn and you don't like to lose. There's a reason I don't play Pai Sho with you anymore."

"I swear you're cheating! Nobody wins that many times in a row!"

"I do."

"I refuse to believe that!" Korra argued as she slumped back against the headboard, arms crossed over her chest.

"Which is why you're stubborn," Asami added in a matter-of-fact tone, earning her a glare from the corner of the Avatar's eyes. Asami chuckled in response as got out of bed and began picking up her things throughout the room.

"Where are you going?" Korra's mood suddenly altered as she sat straight up again.

"I have to be at the office in a few hours so I think it's about time I went home and unpacked. I need to change my clothes anyway. Sadly, with you helping hunt down a bloodbender and me recovering from Varrick's massacre, vacation is obviously over," she explained with a sigh.

"I told you that was a bad idea."

"I honestly thought Zhu Li was going to keep him in check. I guess she can only do so much, which is still impressive when it comes to him." She continued to fold her clothes and put them in her bag before she pulled on her pants.

Korra sighed heavily at the sight. "I don't want vacation to be over." Asami turned to look at her with a raised brow. She then smiled sweetly, placed a folded shirt into her bag and walked over to the bed; taking a seat in front of her.

"As sad as it is, it's nice to know we're needed," Asami tried to offer a different perspective.

"Yeah… but… now what? With us?" Korra asked hesitantly as she stared down at her lap.

Asami raised an eyebrow again before placing a hand on the Avatar's chin and tilting her head up so their eyes could meet. Asami's tender smile caused Korra's heart to swell. It left her completely breathless. And then, Asami leaned in and captured her lips. Any worry in the young woman's heart and mind washed away. She felt Asami's fingertips tracing up her jaw, down her neck, and ending on her shoulder. Then, she pushed her back down on the bed tenderly. The kisses were deep and slowly growing more and more passionate. A knee placed between the Avatar's legs kept Asami hovering above her. Then, Korra wrapped her arms around Asami's waist to bring her closer; a hand running slowly up the black haired woman's back, under her thin shirt.

"Korra!" Tenzin yelled through the closed door as he knocked.

Asami jerked away slightly in response. Korra quickly replied. "W-what? What is it?"

"Lin just contacted me. She needs you down at the station as soon as possible," Tenzin said through the door.

"Okay. Thanks," Korra answered with a frustrated sigh as Asami smirked on top of her. She leaned down and kissed her forehead before getting up off of the bed.

Korra sat up and hung her legs off of the side of the bed. "So… you didn't answer my question."

Asami chuckled as she ran her hands through her disheveled hair as a makeshift brush. "I think I just did."

"But we have so much going on during the day. And we live in different areas. We're barely ever going to get any alone time."

"I live in a huge mansion, Korra. There's plenty of privacy. Maybe you could stay with me. You know, if you wanted-" Asami suggested in an attempt to sound nonchalant as she pulled on her jacket.

"Are you asking me to move in with you?"

"Uh, well, no? Yes? I don't know. If you don't want to its completely fine-"

"That sounds perfect," Korra interrupted again with a smile plastered across her face.

"Really?" Asami questioned in relief.

"Yeah. I'd love to. Why would I ever say 'no' to living in a mansion?" Asami glared slightly, earning a laugh from Korra. She finally stood up from the bed and walked over to her; seeing that she was about to leave. Then, she cupped her face and kissed her. "I'll see you at home then."

Asami grinned in response before nodding and making her exit. This day was going to feel like eternity.

"What's the news?" Korra asked walking into Lin's office. Mako was already there standing beside a young girl seated in a chair.

"Korra, meet Ru," Lin introduced.

"Uh, hi Ru."

The girl was too meek to really reply. A soft "hi" was heard from her lips.

Lin continued. "Ru was one of the people abducted."

Korra's eyes widened. "How'd you find her?"

"We didn't," Mako answered. "She found us."

"She walked into the station afraid and confused. She doesn't recall where she's been or how she got here. She didn't even know her own name," Lin explained.

"Her mother is on her way now. I'm curious if that might trigger something," Mako added.

"So she just showed up here…" Korra restated.

Lin nodded. "Which means the bloodbender sent her here on purpose. She didn't just stumble in here by accident. That's too convenient for us."

"Is it some kind of message?" Korra tried to understand.

Mako looked down to the girl. "I want you to try to think again, Ru. Try to think of the last thing you remember. Can you do that?"

Ru began to tremble and then quickly pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them on the chair. "I don't know anything! I swear!"

Mako flinched and stepped away from her. Korra took this opportunity to approach the scared girl. She knelt down in front of her. "Hi, Ru," she started sweetly. "You don't have to be afraid. I know this guy looks scary, but he's a big softy inside. Don't let those eyebrows fool ya," she added with a wink.

"How old are you, Ru?" Korra continued.

"Ten." The girl let go of her legs, hesitantly letting her guard down.

"That's good! You remember how old you are! Do you remember who your mom is?" The ten year old nodded. "What about your dad?" The girl suddenly looked down at her lap. Korra curiously tilted her head to the side.

"Ru!" a yell came from behind. Everyone looked to see a middle aged woman holding her hands over her mouth; tears building in her eyes. She then ran toward them, Ru getting to her feet in response. "Mom!"

They embraced for a moment before the mother began planting kisses all over her daughter's head.

"Should we be expecting her father soon?" Mako commented.

The mother looked up in alarm and then frowned. "He's at the construction site. He said he'll see her later."

Lin frowned in response. "He doesn't want to see his missing daughter?"

"He takes his work very seriously," the woman explained, causing the three investigators to glance at one another in suspicion.

"We would really like to speak to him as well, ma'am. We need to go over some new things. Mr. Zhen could have the missing piece we need to find your son," Mako tried to explain persuasively.

"I'm sure I can answer whatever questions you have," the mother answered as she continued to hold her daughter.

Mako stepped forward. "Well then, can I ask you two to come with me?" The woman nodded and held Ru's hand as they followed.

Lin began to leave. "Let's go."

"Uh, where are we going?" she asked in alarm as she quickened her pace to catch up to the Chief of Police.

"To the construction site. The father sounds suspicious."

Korra let out a disgusted chuckle. "Or maybe he's just a horrible father."

As they got into the Chief's vehicle, Lin let out a sigh and started to drive toward their destination. "I can't believe we have another bloodbender on our hands. Aren't they supposed to be rare?"

"Yeah. Only a select few people have been known to do it. All of which were waterbenders. So I guess we can eliminate potential suspects."

"Not necessarily. They could be working with anyone."

"Great. We really didn't find out anything then. Mako couldn't even tell if it was a guy or a girl."

"We'll take anything we can get," Lin tried to stay optimistic. They pulled up and parked along the street facing the construction site.

As they approached the crowd of workers, Zhu Li was seen holding a clipboard and yelling up at a crane. "This time when I say '_right'_, I don't mean '_left_!' Learn the difference!"

"Looks like you're having a great time, Zhu Li," Korra said, getting the woman's attention.

She groaned in response. "My husband is the worst."

"I wouldn't argue that," Lin agreed crossing her arms.

Zhu Li continued. "He asks me to go over to the park and try to find a good location for part of the new Nuktuk film. So I head down there with a camera and take some shots. Then I hear an explosion in the distance. I see smoke coming from Future Industries' office building. I begin to make my way back to see what happened, and then two minutes later, another explosion happens to the east."

"So the bridge blew up," Korra clarified.

"He hooked up a motor to something on a machinery floor that morning. Apparently I forgot to give him coffee that morning, so he was too sleepy to see the difference between a _motor_ and _bomb_!"

"He can't even take the blame… So how did he blow up the bridge then?" Korra questioned with a raised brow.

Zhu Li rolled her eyes. "He tends to often have an explosive of some sort on him."

"That sounds safe…" Lin grumbled.

Korra placed her hands on her hips. "So he's off making a mover while you're here cleaning up _his_ mess?"

"He'd only mess it up more," Zhu Li answered with a sigh. "But Asami is the main force behind the reconstruction. I guess she knows how to raise morale." Zhu Li turned and directed their attention to the CEO. Her hair was tied in a ponytail under a construction hat, and she was pointing to blueprints she was holding out to a fellow worker. Korra smirked at the sight.

"Wipe your mouth, Korra. I think you're drooling," Lin mocked from her side.

"Am not!"

"Just go ask her which one of these men is our man." Korra nodded and began to make her way over. "And keep it short!" Lin yelled after her. Korra rolled her eyes as she continued to walk toward Asami.

"Someone's hard at work," Korra smirked as she leaned on the foldout table behind the CEO. When she turned around, the Avatar felt a rush throughout her body.

"What are you doing here?" Asami grinned, stepping closer.

"Oh, ya know, just police business. I love the hat, by the way," she answered tapping up on the rim of the construction hat.

Asami's eyes darkened as her grin turned mischievous. "Oh really? Maybe I'll bring it home for later." Korra's mouth fell ajar and her face began to heat up. "Korra! You're blushing!"

The Avatar ran a hand through her hair to recover from embarrassment. "You just caught me off guard!"

Asami laughed. "I love learning new ways to make you blush. So what's the police business you were talking about?"

"Oh, yeah. Can you tell me who Mr. Zhen is? I was told he's working construction here."

"Yeah, he's a real slacker. Caught him drunk on the job yesterday. He's right over there," she answered pointing to a man leaning against a wall and smoking a cigarette.

"Slacker? His wife said he takes his work seriously."

"From what I've seen and heard, there is no way that's true. He's a real jerk."

"That's weird… Thanks." Korra quickly gave Asami a peck on the cheek before making her way back to Lin.

"See you at home," Asami called after her as she held her hand to her cheek. Korra turned, grinned and waved in her direction.

"What do ya got?" Lin asked at Korra's arrival.

"He's the guy over there smoking. Apparently he's a jerk and doesn't like to work."

"Let's go talk to him." When they walked over, the construction worker began to straighten up. "Mr. Zhen? We'd like to talk to you, if you don't mind."

"I'm on my break," he answered with agitation.

"So then you have some free time for us," Korra inferred, earning her a glare. "You know we found your daughter today?"

His eyebrows rose in surprise. "That's great," he answered before taking a drag.

"Don't you want to see her?" Korra asked in disbelief.

"Korra," Lin warned.

"What? He could at least act more grateful that his little girl is home!"

"Korra!"

The Avatar's nostrils flared as she took a step back and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Mr. Zhen," Lin took over. "I was wondering if you could tell me anything peculiar Ru. Something she does in her spare time? Or something she doesn't do that other children do?"

He let out a disgusted chuckle. "Yeah, she doesn't know how to listen."

Lin frowned. "Anything else?"

"I think she likes bike riding or something. She usually rides down with some kids to the playground in the park… or maybe its scooters. I don't remember. Listen, I got to get back to work. So if you don't mind leaving me alone, that'd be great," he finished as he put out his cigarette and brushed past them.

"We didn't get much out of him," Korra commented.

"No, but we found out he doesn't know anything about his kid." Then, Lin's radio went off. "Chief here. What's up?"

"We just got a call in from Mrs. Zhen. She said Ru is airbending everything in the house."

"And?"

"Ru wasn't an airbender before the kidnapping."


	3. Dedication

_Chapter 3: Dedication_

"What? How is that possible?" Lin exclaimed.

"The only time people have randomly become benders is when we merged with the spirit world. How can Ru be an airbender? This doesn't make any sense," Korra added.

"I suggest going to the Zhen residence and checking it out," Mako said over the radio.

"We're on it," Lin agreed as the two made their way back into the vehicle. "And we just had a talk with Ru's father. He doesn't seem to be much of a family man."

"Or a respectable man, for that matter," Korra chimed in as they began driving to their destination.

"That explains the suspicion. Probably isn't around often," Mako reasoned.

"I'm assuming the bar is more his home than his actual home," Korra scoffed.

"We'll update you on the situation after," Lin finished the radio conversation.

"Usually there's a sign when a child has bending abilities. It can't be that out of the blue. You can't hide that kind of thing," Lin analyzed out loud.

"Maybe she's just a late bloomer. Are either of her parents benders?"

"I don't believe so."

"Well, I guess we should just wait and see for now."

When they pulled up to the house, they noticed its disarray began outside. The trashcans along the sidewalk were on their sides; garbage strewn across the walkway and on to the road. A window was broken, glass visible on the windowsill. A toaster lay under the window as the source of the vandalism.

"I don't hear anything," Lin commented as they approached the door.

"Yeah. Is anyone even home?"

Lin knocked on the door and leaned toward the broken window. "Republic City Police. Mrs. Zhen?"

"Yes," they heard in a hushed voice. "Come in," the woman said softly. "Ru is sleeping." They entered and turned down the hallway to see the mother sitting on the floor with her daughter sleeping with her head in her lap. "I finally got her to calm down," Mrs. Zhen said with obvious relief.

"What happened here?" Korra asked as she took in the surroundings. The current room had turned over furniture and broken decorations scattered across the room; dirty dishes included. It was as if a natural disaster had swept through this house alone.

"We were sitting down eating. I made her favorite for lunch," she began explaining as she watched her fingers run through Ru's hair. "We finished and then I said she should take a bath. She started shaking violently. Started yelling, '_No! Not the water! Not the water!_' All of a sudden the air got thicker and started blowing around the house. I didn't understand where it was coming from. The more she yelled and cried, the harsher the gusts seemed to get. I tried to calm her down, but she wouldn't let me get near her. I started begging her and saying she didn't have to take a bath. Eventually the wind stopped, but she continued to cry. I just held her until she tired herself out." Tears were welling in her eyes. "I don't understand what happened to my little girl."

Korra stared down at the now sleeping girl. "She's afraid of water. Bloodbending is water-based."

"True. Whether it was bloodbending that hurt her, or some waterbending technique, she probably witnessed something no person, let alone a little girl, should ever experience," Lin answered with sympathy drenching her words.

"My Ru," Mrs. Zhen began to cry softly. "What did they do to you?"

"She needs to remain as calm as possible, so continue to soothe her as much as you can. We're going to send a master in airbending," Lin informed.

"He'll try to help Ru with the basics. Breathing methods; forms of calming techniques," Korra explained. She gave a light smile. "Everything is going to be okay, Mrs. Zhen. Ru is safe now. She just needs the love and care that you can give her."

"Thank you," the woman sniffed. "Thank you so much."

Lin nodded as they began to make their exit. "Oh," she said before turning back to the mother. "We talked with your husband at the construction site. He doesn't seem to be in a very good mood."

Her face showed alarm before frowning. "Work has been hard on him lately."

"How long is '_lately'_ exactly?" Korra questioned.

"Korra," Lin hissed.

"You two deserve better," Korra continued; her gaze strong in the mother's eyes.

"That's enough," Lin hissed again, trying not to wake the child. She pushed Korra toward the door. "We'll be in touch, Mrs. Zhen."

"You crossed a line in there, Avatar."

"I'm sorry, but that guy clearly doesn't care about his family one bit. Not wanting to see his daughter after she's been missing? Drunk on the job? Come on, you can't say that doesn't lead to being a shitty husband and father!"

"Despite whatever it may look like, it is not our place to step in and make assumptions. If something is obviously wrong, as in abuse, then we can do something, but other than that, we can't."

"Well it's obvious he's an ass."

"That I can agree with."

Back at the police station, Mako was sorting through files all over his desk. After explaining the situation, they all took a seat and brainstormed.

"I'm trying to make some connections, but I'm coming up with nothing," Mako huffed in frustration.

"Start listing some victims for me. Fill me in," Korra suggested.

Mako rubbed a temple before taking a deep breath. "Female, age 18, got out of the orphanage two months ago and has been working in the market. Male, age 13, lives with his aunt and older brother. Female, age 24, takes care of her sick grandmother while working at the hospital. Male, age 12, mother and father work for Future Industries. Male, age 20, training for-"

"Hello, my fellow superheroes!" Bolin came bursting into the office.

"We're a little busy, superstar," Mako mocked.

"Aw, well let me try and help out! Opal is with Tenzin helping out that Ru girl. I'm off work today! Please let me help! Please!" He begged on bended knee with his hands clasped together, and his bottom lip protruding.

Mako rolled his eyes. "Fine, but try to stay focused." His little brother jumped in excitement, causing Korra to chuckle in response.

"Opal filled me in on the gossip. Apparently this Zhen guy is bad news, huh?" Bolin asked as he pulled up a chair to Mako's desk.

"Ru is such a sweet little girl. I don't understand how she could have come from that guy," Korra said bitterly.

"Some kids get lucky with good parents. Some don't. Growing up on the streets, Mako and I didn't get either. I guess that could be a good and bad thing. Better to have none than bad, right?" Bolin theorized.

"That's a matter of opinion. They could be bad in the beginning and then redeem themselves," Korra tried to argue.

"Maybe," Bolin replied.

"Think about Asami," Korra suggested.

"Oh! Very true!"

"Let's get back to the disappearances, please?" Lin intruded.

They continued for hours. Nothing odd was sticking out to them. There was no single factor that tied each victim together. But it didn't seem like they were taken at random. Disappearances happened in a set time range, every two days. Ru was returned straight to the police. This criminal was the kind to have a reason. They weren't kidnapping on a whim. It didn't seem to fit the profile. Especially since no one has showed up dead.

"Ugh. This is getting depressing," Korra complained as she sat back in her chair from exhaustion.

"Then maybe I can give you some good news," a voice came from the door. Tenzin stood in the doorway smiling.

"Please and thank you," she responded.

"Ru is doing fine at the moment. She didn't seem to know how to airbend without being afraid or angry. To her, bending is only a defense mechanism for any threat. I tried to get her to show me some of her abilities, but she seemed even afraid of herself."

"That poor girl," Korra replied; her heart weighing down in her chest.

"Jinora tried to show her the beauty in airbending; a kinder side than what Ru has seen. She doesn't understand that it can also be a gift; not just a weapon."

"So what's the plan now?" Lin questioned him.

"Opal and Jinora are going to return every day to help train her. It'll be a tough journey for her, but I believe in time she'll be okay."

Mako slammed his hands against his desk as he rose to his feet. "Who is this bastard? Messing with little kids? How low can you get?"

"We'll find them, detective," Lin reassured confidently. "Tomorrow should be their next kidnap attempt. We almost got them last time. They can't hide forever."

"I hope Ru is going to be okay. It seems like she went through a lot," Bolin commented sadly. "Weird how she would just be allowed to go home after all of that."

Mako nodded. "Yeah, we still don't understand why she would be let go. She's a bender now. Was that a risk to whoever this captor is? Was she too much to handle?"

"I guess that's one way of looking at it," Lin addressed his theory. "Or maybe she was sent home because she was unstable. Criminals like to cause problems. Maybe spreading destruction makes them sleep better at night."

"Chief, are you there?" her radio went off on her desk. She picked up and responded. "I'm here. What's going on?"

"The little girl that was almost abducted yesterday is missing."

"What?" the Chief exclaimed. Everyone in the room stiffened. "How did this happen? There was supposed to be a patrol watching the house at all times!"

"We _were_ patrolling the whole time, Chief. We didn't see anything. Everything was normal, and the next thing we know, the mother came running out screaming for her daughter. She's not there."

"Where could she have gone?"

"We checked the house. A window was open that led into the alley."

Lin pressed her face into the palm of her hand. "I can't believe this."

"Detective, come in!" Mako's radio went off.

"What is it? I'm here," he replied hastily.

"The Zhen girl! She's gone!"

"What? How?" Mako yelled angrily into the radio.

"Someone came out of nowhere. We were sitting in our car watching the house, and then suddenly we couldn't move! It was like something was crawling around in my veins! There was searing pain and then we both fell unconscious. When we came to, we ran into the house and found the mother unconscious on the floor. The girl wasn't there."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Mako slammed his fist down on his desk. "Is Mrs. Zhen still unconscious?"

"Yes, we're with her now."

"Stay with her and see what she remembers when she wakes u- No, bring her to the station when she wakes up."

"Yes, detective."

"Chief!" a female officer came to the doorway.

"What now?" Lin barked.

"The window on the entrance door was smashed. When I went to check it out, I found this on the ground," she answered stepping forward and holding out an envelope.

Lin took the unlabeled envelope and pulled out a folded piece of paper:

_I get what I want. Expect another tomorrow. We have a schedule to keep._

_P.S. Focus on the whole herd next time; not just a returned sheep. Quite the sheep though, isn't she?_

"Ru was a distraction?" Tenzin concluded.

"We were too focused on her!" Lin yelled in frustration.

"They wanted us to see what Ru could do," Mako added hastily.

"Why though? Why show us a tortured little girl that can't control her airbending?" Bolin questioned.

"We're missing something. We don't have enough information yet," Korra said calmly.

"But we can't just keep letting people go missing so we can get more information!" Mako shouted.

Korra frowned. "I'm not saying we do that. I'm saying we still don't know enough. Something isn't making sense. This person can't be able to hide every piece of evidence. They can't have that much control over us. I refuse to believe that."

"We've been researching for hours! We've looked over all the files three times or more!" Mako argued.

"Detective, go get some air," Lin pulled rank and interrupted.

"But Chief-"

"Now," she said firmly. He took a deep breath and walked out.

"He's just frustrated," Bolin tried to explain to Korra.

"I get it. This is all so aggravating. Maybe we just need to step away from this for a bit. Get our heads clear," Korra suggested.

"Good idea. Go get some rest. I'll be here for whenever Mrs. Zhen wakes up. Or if something else suddenly happens," Lin sighed.

"I doubt anything else is going to happen tonight," Bolin commented. "We just got bombarded there. Whoever it is, they sure are dedicated."

Korra frowned at the Chief of Police. "You can't overwork yourself either."

"I'll stay and make sure Lin doesn't lose her mind," Tenzin announced with a sincere smile directed toward the Avatar.

Korra smiled and nodded. "Please let me know if anything happens." As she exited, Bolin came running out to catch up to her.

"Want to head back to the temple together?"

"Uh, I'm not heading to the temple tonight," Korra said hesitantly.

"Oh really? And where might I ask are you going then?"

"It's none of your business."

"Well now I really want know."

"I have a doctor's appointment."

"Are you sick?"

"No… It's a doctor for females…"

"Oh, I see! You have an appointment with Dr. Asami Sato," he grinned.

"What? No!"

"Why can't you just say you're going to Asami's?"

"I-" Korra paused. She didn't know why she didn't just say where she was going. She was asked to move in with Asami this morning. Why was she suddenly hiding things? "I don't know," she answered softly. What was going on in her head?

Bolin tilted his head thoughtfully. "Hey," he said to pull Korra out of her thoughts. "You want to be with her, right?"

Korra's blue eyes widened. "Y-yeah. Of course."

"Then stop thinking so much," Bolin replied with a chuckle. "Unless certain death is standing in the way of being with her, stop worrying about all the little things." He started walking away. "Life's too short, Avatar!" he yelled over his shoulder.

She watched him get farther and farther away before she turned and made her way toward the Sato mansion. The night air was colder; thicker. She breathed in deeply and watched her breath dissipate when she exhaled. Was Bolin right? Was she thinking too much? It seemed like she wasn't thinking about anything at all. She's been focused on the case and hasn't thought much about Asami's moving invitation. She had answered immediately when asked, but now she was second-guessing herself.

Maybe it wasn't such a good idea. What if it didn't work out? What if living together would ruin the relationship? What if Asami realizes she doesn't want to be with her?

The Avatar took another deep breath and watched the warm air leave her mouth yet again. "I'm scared," Korra admitted out loud with a chuckle. "Geez," she added as she ran a hand through her hair. "I'm the Avatar; I've faced death too many times to count and I'm afraid of getting my heart broken." She let out another chuckle.

Then, she found herself in front of the gate to the mansion. "Well," she began as she stared at the massive house. "Zaheer or Vaatu would be less terrifying at this moment." Then, she took a deep breath and made her way inside.

"Ugh! I can't believe these parts aren't going to be ready in time!" Korra heard as she entered the mansion.

"Hello?" she said without hearing a response. She looked in the direction of the voice. A large dining room was empty. She moved to the next room and found a large office. Asami stood leaning over a table with scattered papers all across the surface. Her button-up shirt had its sleeves rolled up. Her blazer rested on the chair behind her. 'Frazzled' would have been an understatement.

"Hey," Korra said sweetly as she stared on the raven haired woman. Asami's eyes left the table and met crystal blues. A sigh a relief left the CEO as a thankful smile came to her lips. Korra made her way over to her.

"Stressful day?" Korra asked kindly.

"No more stressful than yours, I'm assuming," Asami replied with a single chuckle. Korra sighed. "Want to talk about it?"

Korra shook her head. "No, not really. I need a break."

"I could use one too," Asami said, exhaustion evident in her voice. She then smirked. "Anything in mind?"

Korra took a step closer. "Oh, I don't know…" She rested her hands on Asami's hips. Asami's arms instinctively wrapped around her neck. Then, Korra leaned in and placed a tender kiss on Asami's lips.

Asami grinned against Korra's lips. "I've got something in mind." She jumped up and sat on the table; papers flying off the surface from her sudden movement. Asami then gripped onto Korra's shirt and pulled her closer; encouraging a laugh from the standing woman before Asami pulled her into a kiss. When the kiss broke, they leaned their foreheads against each other; eyes closed.

"Welcome home," Asami whispered sweetly. Korra's eyes opened in alarm as she pulled away slightly to get a better look at the woman in front of her. Asami's green eyes shined from the light in the room. Korra searched those emeralds for answers to her many questions. And within a few seconds, as Asami aimed her beautiful smile at her, she couldn't help but smile back. Everything was going to be okay. And with that thought, she dove in for a passionate kiss; pushing Asami back onto the table and climbing on top.

The kissing intensified quickly. Korra was stumbling blindly over buttons as Asami clawed at Korra's shirt. Then, Asami pushed Korra off of her. "Wait!" she yelled as she hopped off of the table.

Korra was out of breath and confused, "Wait? What?"

"I have to get the construction hat!" she said running out of the room.

"What?" Korra yelled. "You actually brought that home?" she exclaimed. A few seconds later, Asami entered the room. The hat was on her head and her pants were now off. Standing in her underwear, her button-up open revealing her bra, she walked slowly toward the Avatar.

Asami smirked as she continued to slowly make her way toward Korra, who was still sprawled on the table. "You're blushing, Avatar."

Korra swallowed the saliva building up in her agape mouth. "I can't believe you brought that home," she managed to push out of her mouth as her eyes ran all over the approaching body. She watched the curves of her body tantalizingly sway. Her green eyes burned into her; the fire spreading throughout the Avatar's body.

Asami raised an eyebrow. "Should I take the hat off then?"

A smirk slowly spread across Korra's lips. "Not yet."


	4. Problems

_Chapter 4: Problems_

"Don't look at me like that! I've halted the production of my mover to help you!"

"Please! Spare me your generosity," Korra heard Asami yell as she made her way out of the house.

"Everything okay?" Korra asked as she peaked into the office.

"Yes!" Varrick yelled.

"No!" Asami said at the same time.

"Uh…" The Avatar was hesitant to ask anything else. "I'm going to head out."

"Okay," Asami turned to Varrick. "Stay here for a second. And _don't_ touch anything."

Korra slowly made her way to the front door as Asami came walking after her. "If you see me in handcuffs at the station, it's because I killed him."

Korra turned to face her; her back facing the front door. "Well I'm crossing my fingers then. Seeing you in handcuffs sounds very educational."

"Oh really? What is it you're studying for exactly?"

"Home economics." Asami smirked with a cocked eyebrow and crossed arms. "There's nothing wrong with research, Miss Sato."

"I thought the Avatar was about justice and protecting the innocent."

"Yeah, you're right. But you're a killer in that dress."

Asami took a step forward. "So it's the dress's fault?"

"No, it's definitely your body's fault."

"I can't help that."

"And neither can I," Korra said before grabbing Asami's face and kissing her deeply. Asami replied by pushing herself against her; slamming Korra's back into the door.

The Avatar's hands slid down her back, eventually pulling one slender leg up so that Asami's knee pressed against her hip. Then, Korra's fingers slid up her bare skin, beginning to slip under the fabric of her dress. "Varrick is in the next room," Asami whispered with hot breath as Korra moved her lips to Asami's neck. The blue eyed woman moved all the way up her thigh with her fingertips beginning to graze underwear.

"Korra," Asami warned despite her grip tightening on the aggressor's shoulder.

"Lace, huh?" Korra said against her neck as she covered Asami's lips with her own before she could respond.

Suddenly, Asami pushed herself off of Korra. "We have jobs to do!" she said with a chuckle.

"I was in the middle of one," Korra groaned as she lazily leaned back against the door.

"You have a criminal to catch!" Asami held back a smile as she began to throw a punch at her shoulder. However, Korra caught her arm and pulled her into an embrace. She gave her a kiss before revealing a grin.

"Okay, okay. I'll see you later," she said before letting the CEO free and opening the door behind her. "I look forward to that lace," she said as she closed the door.

She could hear Mrs. Zhen crying down the hall from Lin's office. Korra's heart began breaking before she opened the door.

"Can we get you any water, Mrs. Zhen? Tea?" Mako asked with sympathy evident in his voice. Bolin was seen sitting next to the grieving woman with a comforting hand resting on her shoulder.

Korra paused suddenly. A large bruise covered her left eye. Lin approached Korra while she was still distanced from the woman. "Where did she get that black eye?" Korra whispered to her urgently.

"She said it was an accident."

"Who's accident?"

"Didn't say. She keeps breaking down."

"Is the husband at work?"

"Actually, he's in the hospital. He has a broken leg and he suffered a concussion last night."

Korra's stare intensified. "How did _that_ happen?"

"Apparently Ru did it just before disappearing again."

"She did this to her father?" she asked in disbelief. "So is that supposed to be the accident Mrs. Zhen is referring to?"

Lin paused for a moment. "I'm not too sure about that. That eye looks a lot like she took a punch to the face."

"So what is it you're thinking?"

Lin turned toward the woman, walked closer and took a knee in front of her; placing a hand on hers located on her lap. "I need you to be honest with me, Mrs. Zhen. Were you hit last night?"

The woman's eyes widened as she sniffed and a tear trailed down her cheek. "Ru sent a lot of things flying around the room. The wind flung things in the air and they went all over the place."

"That's not what I'm talking about," Lin answered evenly. "Did your husband hit you last night?"

She answered with silence. The woman's eyes said everything they needed to know. Pain of all sorts spoke through them. "Ru… she was trying to protect me. She was screaming for him to stop when he started getting rough, but when he… hit me… she lost it. Gusts developed behind her and she threw him across the room like it was nothing."

"Has his behavior always been like this?" Mako asked softly. She nodded.

"Ru… She was just protecting me! He was going after her first before I flung myself in between them. He… he just drinks too much."

Korra felt anger bubbling to the surface. She doubted the alcohol was the only problem. It was obvious to her after ten seconds of talking to him that the man wasn't the loving sort.

"So then what happened?" Korra asked sweetly.

"He was laying against the wall unconscious and as I started to go over and check on him, I couldn't move my body anymore. I saw Ru out of the corner of my eye and heard her call out to me, but then pain spread all over me and I passed out."

Bolin remained comforting the woman who broke down again. Mako and Lin walked over to Korra.

"So that took a turn," Mako commented with a sigh.

"I knew that guy was bad news," Korra said as she crossed her arms over her chest. "That poor woman," she said much more softly as her gaze fell on the grieving mother yet again.

"We'll have the patrol at the hospital take care of him. He can heal up, but he's got a cell with his name on it," Lin stated harshly. "We need to bring in the mother of the other girl that was taken."

"Well, we can't exactly do that," Mako corrected. "She suffers from agoraphobia. Running out of the house last night threw her into a bit of a shock. A patrol team is with her so she is safe."

"What about her husband?" Lin questioned.

Mako shook his head. "Died eight years ago."

Korra thought for a moment as she became more confused. "Wait, when did the mother start to be afraid of leaving the house?"

"About four or five years ago."

"How did she get food, or supplies, or anything for that matter for her two kids? They're still young, aren't they?" Korra exclaimed.

"The boy is thirteen and the girl is eleven. Apparently the markets know her children very well. They take care of it all," Mako answered simply.

"Are they benders?" Korra asked curiously.

"Not to our knowledge."

"We have a few hours before we need to start patrolling for the next kidnapping," Lin began. "We just found out a bit more about some of our victims. Let's split up and try to see if we can find out anything else about any of the others."

Mako nodded as he went to grab a file on his desk. Looking down at it, he gave instructions. "Chief, how about you check up with Bev Moto's grandmother. She's our twenty-four year old female who takes care of her sick grandmother while working at the hospital. Maybe check out the hospital where she works too?"

"Sounds good. I'll stop in to greet Mr. Zhen, while I'm at the hospital," Lin said with fire in her eyes.

"I'm jealous," Korra commented.

"Korra, I want you to go to Future Industries and talk to Mr. and Mrs. Rowe. They're the parents of Hans Rowe; twelve year old male. I'll go to the orphanage that Lilly Wells was recently let out of and then talk to people in the market where she worked," Mako finished.

"Bolin, do you think you could stay with Mrs. Zhen? Take her home and stay there with her if that's what she prefers?" Lin asked the mover star.

"Yeah, no problem, Chief," he said with a salute. "You can count on me."

"I overheard her the other day about being a huge Nuktuk fan," Lin whispered to Korra. "Hopefully that'll give her some more comfort."

"Sadly, I don't think it'll be enough," the Avatar replied.

The three began to make their way out of the building. "The President finally announced a curfew. It only took two damn days," Lin spat out in annoyance.

"At least he agreed to it," Mako tried to see the upside.

"Do you think it would have made a difference with everything that happened last night?"

"It could have," Lin answered. "There's no way of knowing though. Maybe the fact that no one should be on the streets would have tipped off one of our patrols." She sighed before continuing. "Everyone's got their radios?" The two nodded. "Call in if you find anything useful." Then, they all went their separate ways.

Korra walked in the entrance of the large office building belonging to Future Industries. A receptionist began to greet her as she approached. "Hello, how may I- Oh! Avatar Korra! Welcome! What can I do for you?" the young woman suddenly perked right up.

"Hi," Korra said with a kind smile. "I was wondering if you could tell me where to find Mr. and Mrs. Rowe?"

"Mr. Rowe is one of our top machinists. He's currently on the fifth floor; the one that has suffered a bit of a mishap in the past week."

"Ah, the explosion. I've heard," Korra said with a sympathetic smile. "And Mrs. Rowe?"

"She is on the ninth floor. I believe there is a conference occurring there right now. She would be participating in that meeting."

"Well I'll just work my way up if that's okay?"

"Of course! Just be careful on the fifth floor. They're trying to stabilize the destruction."

"I will. Thank you," Korra said as she made her way into the elevator. When the doors opened to the fifth floor, she saw metalbenders working on the pipes that were connected in the walls. The sound of machinery was aggressive and she made her way through the maze of construction.

"Excuse me? Can you tell me who Mr. Rowe is?" she yelled over the noise to one of the metalbenders. She looked back at Korra and gave a nod toward a man working with some sort of circuitry across the room. "Thank you," she said before going toward her objective.

"Excuse me. Mr. Rowe? Is it okay if I speak with you for a bit?"

A spark interrupted his attempt at fixing it, causing him to curse before turning toward Korra. "What is it? I'm kind of busy. I have to come down here and do what all these idiots should be more than capable of doing. I have more pressing things to do upstairs," the man complained.

"Um, I'm sorry to hear that. I'm here to talk to you about your son, Hans."

"Have you found him?" he asked with hope brightening up his face.

"No, not yet. I was just wondering if you could tell me more about him."

He sighed. "What do you want to know?" he asked as he turned back to the bundle of wires.

"Anything."

He paused and stared down at the wires before a small smile came to his lips. "He loves machines and gadgets. I never forced it on him or anything. He just finds them as marvelous as I always have. One day I came home and found he had taken apart one of the models we were creating here for the company. He was looking at each part with such fascination." He let out a chuckle. "Then he started taking everything in the house apart, and slowly but surely, was able to put them back together. He really does have a passion for it." He paused for another moment. "Such a smart kid," he added before going back to work with the circuit.

"Sounds like he's got a future here at Future Industries. Pardon the pun."

"They'd be idiots if they didn't keep their eyes on him."

"Is he by chance a bender?"

"Hans? Not at all. Just your everyday genius," he answered with another chuckle.

"He's an only child, right?"

"Yes. We tried to have another one, but our work schedules never gave us the opportunity."

Korra nodded slowly. "Listen, I'd really love to chat about Hans all day. But I have a schedule. If you have any specific questions I'll be happy to answer them."

"I'll let you know if I come up with anything specific. Thank you for your time, Mr. Rowe." He gave a single nod before Korra made her way back to the elevator.

Hans' mother and father both worked fulltime. They couldn't even take off work for a few months in order to have another child. Who was taking care of Hans while they were working? It sounded like a lonely life for a little kid.

As she stepped onto the ninth floor, she noticed the drastic difference in aesthetics. It was much more extravagant. Flowers and decorations lit up the surroundings. No wonder Mr. Rowe was upset he had to be down there.

"Avatar Korra?" a receptionist said as Korra approached.

"Yes, hello. I'm here to see Mrs. Rowe."

"The meeting should be letting out any minute, if you don't mind waiting."

"That's fine," she said with a smile.

Doors suddenly opened at the end of the hall as people in suits and business attire flooded out. The commotion of different conversations all happening at once filled the air.

"Mrs. Rowe," the receptionist spoke up as the crowd approached. "The Avatar would like a word with you."

"Oh, hello," the woman greeted with a friendly smile. "We can talk in my office if you like," she suggested as she held her hand out toward a door nearby.

"That sounds great," she replied as they began to walk toward the door.

"Korra?"

The Avatar turned around to see Asami staring back bewildered. "What are you doing here?"

Korra smiled and walked up to the CEO swiftly. "I'm talking with the parents of one of the missing children. Trying to see if I can find anything else out."

"And here I thought you couldn't stay away from me," Asami grinned; her green eyes burning deep into Korra.

"That's obviously the real reason."

Asami chuckled. "Go do your job."

"Can I come see your office after?" Korra asked playfully as she began walking backwards.

"If you didn't, I'd be offended."

"Well we can't have that, can we?" Korra said with a smirk before entering Mrs. Rowe's office.

She took a seat in front of the woman's desk, where the business woman was already seated. "So how may I help you?" she asked with a sincere smile.

"Actually, I was hoping you could help me. I'm here to see if you could tell me anything about Hans."

Her reaction was of surprise before grief washed over her. She took a deep breath. "I'm assuming that means there is still no word of his whereabouts?"

"I'm sorry, but that's correct. We're doing everything we can though. I was hoping I could talk to you about him for a bit to see if I can learn anything new. Something else we can use to help in this investigation."

"What would you like to know?" she asked sadly.

"Well, I just spoke with your husband. He said Hans is a genius," Korra said with a soft smile. She knew she needed to ease into it by starting off with something positive.

Mrs. Rowe smiled fondly. "He truly is. He has his father's knack for anything mechanical. We would come home and find him fiddling with some device or gadget more often than not."

"While you two are at work, who watches over him?"

"We have a live-in nanny. She's been with us well before he was born. She's a part of our family." Korra took note of that. Hans seemed to be raised primarily by his nanny.

"I know what you're thinking," the woman said sadly. "And you're right. His nanny has taken such good care of him. His father and I have always been career-oriented. We even met here." She buried her face into her hands for a few seconds before resurfacing. "I could have been a better mother to him in the past. I know that. When you lose something, all you think about is what you could have done better. I love him. He's my son. But I could have been there more." Her eyes began to fill with water, but she remained calm. She seemed unwilling to break.

"We _will_ find him, Mrs. Rowe. If you think you could have done something differently, you'll get your chance to fix it," Korra said with determination.

"I hope so," she answered with a sad smile. "I truly hope so." She wiped a stray tear before taking a deep breath. "If you don't mind, Avatar Korra, may I be left alone now?"

Korra gave an empathetic smile. "Of course, Mrs. Rowe. If I think of anything else to ask, I'll contact you. Thank you for your time," she said and then left.

Inside the elevator, as she waited to reach the top floor, she brought her radio to her mouth. "Lin, Mako, I just spoke to Hans' parents."

"What'd you find out?" Lin replied.

"Hans is apparently a genius with machines. His parents are both pretty important people in Future Industries. They don't seem to spend much time at home with him though. He was basically raised by a nanny."

"Hm. Well I'm on my way to the hospital now. Bev's grandmother has been her guardian since she was nine. Her mother is mentally unstable and killed Bev's father during an episode. She has been in the psychiatric ward of the hospital since."

"Oh my- That's horrible," Korra replied as the doors opened to the giant office specified for the CEO of Future Industries. Asami looked up as the Avatar entered. She stayed quiet and listened as Korra approached her desk.

"I'm still at the orphanage. I've been talking to many of the kids here as well as the guardians. Lilly was abandoned in a dumpster when she was only one year old. She went into a few foster homes, but always ended up back here," Mako informed.

"I don't know about you guys but I'm seeing a bit of a pattern here," Korra stated.

"Abandonment, neglect, abuse; you think all the victims have parental issues?" Mako questioned.

"Possible. So far it's the best lead we've got," Lin commented. "We've still got some time before patrolling tonight. Meet back up at the station in three hours."

"Roger that," Mako said.

"You got it, Chief," Korra finished.

"Try not to get too distracted over there, Korra," Mako added.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she replied.

"I sent you to Future Industries. I'm not an idiot," he commented.

"Hi, Mako," Asami chimed in.

"Point proven," he replied. "Three hours, Avatar."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Korra replied before turning it off.

"Sounds like you guys have a lead," Asami said as she got up to pour some tea for the two of them.

Korra rubbed the back of her neck unconfidently. "I guess... If that's evidence, this person would think they're some kind of martyr. It's like Amon all over again."

"Except the entire bending population isn't being threated," Asami commented as she handed a cup to Korra.

"Yeah, instead people are showing up _with_ bending abilities," Korra chuckled and took a sip before realization hit her. She looked at Asami in shock. "This person is a bloodbender. Amon also used energybending to block the Chi of benders; taking away their abilities. Do you think it's possible…"

"To do the reverse?" Asami questioned in alarm. "Korra, I don't know much about the crazy science of bending, but that doesn't seem possible. Wouldn't that imply that anyone can learn some sort of bending?"

"Not necessarily. Maybe a relative, or someone in their family lineage was a bender. I don't know. How else did Ru suddenly become an airbender then?"

"I honestly don't know."

Korra shook her head in frustration as she placed her cup of tea down on the desk. "I don't understand any of it."

"You'll figure it out," Asami supported sweetly. She then grabbed Korra's cup of tea off of her desk and made her way to a table that held a selection of fruits and pastries. "Can you do me a favor?" she asked over her shoulder. "Can you go into the top drawer of my desk?"

"Yeah, sure." Korra leaned off the desk and walked around to open the drawer. Laying neatly on top of many organized files was a pair of black lace underwear. Korra bent down and picked up the piece of clothing before looking back at the sultry woman approaching her.

"I thought I'd get a head start. I mean, seeing as we're on a schedule now," Asami said with eyes that began to undress the Avatar.

"If three hours isn't enough, we have a problem," Korra commented as she pulled her shirt swiftly over her head.

Asami chuckled. "I don't see how that could be a problem," she said placing her hands on Korra's bare hips.

"I never said it was a _bad_ problem," Korra smirked as Asami pressed her urgently against her desk and took her lips.


End file.
